This book was quite a change of pace from Axiom's End. It dives right in to the emotional distress felt by the various characters, and I found that I was quite upset on behalf of my faves, who went through a lot in this. It was a gripping read though - I always felt like the next exciting moment was only a couple of pages away, and it was an interesting spin on the 'first contact' scenario that's always fun to think about. It definitely isn't an uplifting read, but it is a worthwhile one, as the characters go through a lot of relatable experiences, both personal and societal, that are hard to face but important to think about.